By Michael Sauerbier
Transmission break at RBB! Berlin’s scandal broadcaster went on strike on Friday. Employees are demanding more wages and less waste. But in the evening the Broadcasting Council decided to spend even more money on expensive lawyers in the RBB scandal.
No Radio Eins, no culture radio, no information radio, no TV news, no ARD lunchtime magazine. Empty studios and offices at RBB. Hundreds of employees demonstrated angrily in front of the transmitter on Masurenallee at noon. The anger towards the bosses is enormous.
“They fill their pockets,” complained reporter Sebastian Schöbel, “and then tell us that there’s no money for the program.”
Waste of millions, top salaries, nepotism. Antenne reporter Lisa Steger: “It cannot be that we ordinary employees have to foot the bill for this mismanagement.”
RBB paid 1.4 million euros for four law firms alone. But the lawyers still haven’t delivered the test report on the RBB scandal promised for December. At a special session in the evening, the broadcasting councils demanded an explanation.
“The test assignment was formulated very broadly,” admitted the head of the board of directors, Dorett König, “so that nothing was overlooked.”
40 informants were heard, 17,000 documents checked. For RBB boss Katrin Vernau, the costs are “not a scandal”. The director: “We said right away that it could be seven figures.“
When the broadcasting councils learned that the test would probably last until April, some called for it to be canceled. Stefan Loge (SPD): “Better an end with horror than more millions!”
But the most important test results are still missing, are needed for processes against the RBB rip-offs.
So the Broadcasting Council only decided on a “progress report” by the lawyers on February 28th. Then they can continue to check and collect. From our broadcasts. Council boss Ralf Roggenbuck: “I despair of this RBB!“